Method of obtaining metals from their respective oxides or ores



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A. L. D. DADRIAN METHOD OF OBTAINING METALS FROM THEIR RESPECTIVE OXIDES OR ORES Filed March 12, 1920 A TTORNEY Patented Jan. 13, 1925.

ALEXANDER L. DUVAL DADRIAN, OF WASHINGTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

METHOD OF OBTAINING METALS FROM THEIR RESPECTIVE OXIDES GRUB/ES.

Application filed March 12,1920. Serial No. 365,181.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER L. DUVAL DADRIAN, a citizen of the Republic of France, and aresident of Washington, county of lV'ashington, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Ohtaining Metals from Their Respective Oxides or Ores, of which the following is a specification.

In the reduction of certain metals from their respective oxides in the presence of carbon by an electric arc, disadvantages have appeared in the considerable expense involved in the replacement of the carbon or graphite electrodes, and further disadvantages have appeared in the fact that the carbon with which the oxides are mixed, is not altogether eliminated, but to some extent combines with the reduced metal.

One of the objects of my invention is to overcome these undesirable features, and to provide a novel method in the use of which a metal is obtained which is PIElC-' tically pure and free' from carbon or carbon combinations, and which novel method is attendant with a lower cost of operation than those hitherto employed.

To enable my improved method to be understood, I will now describe the same by referring to one embodiment of my invention. I take the quantity which is desired to be treated, of a metallic oxide, and grind it to a fine powder. 'In order to get a thorough mixture with carbon, I mix this ground oxide with carbon of the proper amount, and then thoroughly grind the mixture, this amount of carbon depending to some extent on the character of the oxide, as outlined in the following table of typical metallic oxides:

Theoretiealt Atomic Molecular amoun Oxide. weight weight g g ggg element. of oxid. for one pound of oxide.

Pounds. Barlum BaO 137. 37== 153.37 0.03 Cobalt C00 58. 96= 74. 97 0.1017 Tungsten W0: 184. E 232.0 0 0776 Vanadium V203 51.0 150.0 0 12 Uranium U308 238.2 842.6 0.0569 Chromium CnO: 52.0 152.00 0 1184 Molybdenum sesqui M0303 96.0 240.00 0.075 Molybdenum trtoxide MoOa 9B. 0 w 144.00 0. 125 Molybdenum di-oxide M00: 96.0 128.00 0.0937 Uranium dioxide U0: 238. 2 w 270. 20 0.0444

I then combine this mixture of oxide and carbon with a suitable quantity of a binder, as molasses, or any other suitable organic compound, and after a proper mixture has been obtained, I mold and compress the mixture into shapes, corresponding about to the usual size of carbon or graphite electrodes as used in the electric arc process, of the ordinary electric reduction process, but preferably I- make my trode, and has the advantage of increasing the conductivity of the mixture composing the electrode and thereby reducing the voltage that would otherwise be required for the reduction of the oxide in the electrode. This particular step of baking the electrodes at about 1000 C. in the mufile' 'l as described, is preferably one of the steps of the method employed, but it is not essential to the carrying out of my invention. These baked electrodes are then inserted into the electrode holding devices, and the current is then passed and an are formed across the ends of the electrodes. As a result of the intense heat of the arc, the carbon of the mixture composing these electrodes, combines with the oxygen of the oxide, and passes of? mostly as 00,. The resistance of the electrodes to the passage of the current and also the radiated and conducted heat of the are assist in reducing the oxides, before reaching the are itself. The metal itself forms in a molten state and drops from the electrodes in molten condition, practically free from carbon or carbon impurities, and is then assembled in a suitable receptacle,'being preferably kept in a molten state by the heat of the are. To prevent the molten metal 91 from oxidizing on the surface, a flux is placed in the receptacle, and this flux floats on the surface of the molten metal, and thereby provides a protecting layer against the oxygen of the air. The flux may be a mixture of lime and silica, fluor spar and silica, etc., as is well known in the art,

varying with the character of the metal. I prefer a mixture of both fluor spar and lime with silica. electrodes in a furnace provided with an are, as shown in the annexed drawing In this drawing 5 designates the furnace structure of a suitable refractory material,.

which is arranged upon a foundation or support 6. The furnace chamber '4', in which the molten metal is collected, is provided with an outlet passage 8 extending throu h one'side of the furnace structure and irecting the molten metal into a troiwh or spout 9 projecting laterally from the urnace.

10 indicates a curved refractory arched wall extending over the furnace chamber,

' and having openings 11, through which the electrodes formed in the manner above set forth protrude into the chamber 7. Preferably these electrodes extend in a convergent relation to each other so that their lower ends within the furnace chamber are spaced a suitable distance apart for the formation of the electric arc. The arch 10 is normally provided with a central opening 12 afi'ording a free exit for the gas which is generated in the reduction of the metallic constituent of the electrodes to a molten con-,-

dition.

The outlet end of the discharge'passage 8 is normally closed by means of a suitable plug 14.

The intensity of the current depends upon the material to be treated, some oxides requiring only sixty volts, others eighteen hundred volts, and still others several thousand, depending upon the conductivity of the molded electrodes.

As a modified form of my method, I shape the electrodes with a finely ground core of coke or some other form of carbon (which, for instance, in the case of the reduction of cobalt oxides is not necessary), to increase the conductivity of the electrodes. In this case, he carbon of the mixture and the carbon of the core e ual the necessary amount of carbon to re use the oxide to metal.

Bythe methods described, metals may be obtained in practically pure state from their respective oxides, ,as for instance, cobalt, nickel, tungsten, uranium, chromium, molybdenum, zirconium, vanadium, tantalum, thorium, and in fact any metal which has sufiicient value to make the use of the process sufiiciently remunerative.

The above-described method is also adapted for the production of ferro-alloys. In this case, iron, preferably finely divided, can be added in suitable amounts to the mixture used to form the electrodes above described. On the other hand, when iron is I prefer to arrange the electrodes is so proportioned that the desired ferro-alloy which is secured by the action of the are between the electrodes. has the proportions desired.

I have disclosed a satisfactory manner of carrying out my improved method or process, but it will be understood that certain modifications may be made therein without departing as defined in the appended claims. I

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: I

1. The process of obtaining metals from their respective oxides, which consists in forming the oxide mixed with carbon into electrodes, and then establishing an electric are between the ends of the electrodes, for producing an intensive heat, thereby reducing the oxides to metal without the substantial production of slag.

2.The process of obtaining metals from their respective oxides, which consists in grinding the carbon and oxide together, then molding with a. binder the mixture in the form of electrodes, and then by means of an electric are reducing the metal of the from the spirit of my invention oxide Without the substantial production of sla The process of obtaining metals from their respective oxides, which consists in molding a mixture of. the metallic oxide to be reduced, carbon and .a binder in the form of an electrode, then baking the same at about 1000 C. or over, without undue access of air, to accom lish a partial reduction of the oxide, and then establishing an electric are between a pair of electrodes to complete the reduction of the oxide into metal.

4. The process of obtaining metals from their respective oxides, which consists in adding. carbon and a binder to ground oxides. and molding the mixture around a central core of coke or other form of carbon into electrodes, and then establishing an electric are between the electrodes so formed, to reduce the oxides to metal.

5. The method'of obtaining a ferro-alloy which consists in mixing iron and a metallic oxide and carbon in proportions to correspond to the composition of the ferro alloy desired to be produced, forming the mixture into electrodes, and producin by the action of the electric are, a ferroloy.

memos ducing a ent into electrodes and recovering the meta -content thereof in a metallicrcondition by the application of heat without the substantial production of slag.

7 The process of obtaining metals from ores comprising forming the ore and a reducingagent into electrodes and recovering the metal-content thereof in a metallic condition without the substantial production of slag by establishing anelectric are between the electrodes.

baking 20 heat.

9. As a new article of manufacture, an electrode comprising the reaction-products formed by baking a mixture of a reducible compound, a reducing agent and a binder at a temperature of about 1000 C.

10. As a new article of manufacture, an electrode comprising the reaction-products formed by baking a mixture of a metallic oxide, a reducing agentand a binder at a temperature of about 1000 C.

11. As a new article of manufacture, an electrode comprising the reaction-products formed by baking a mixture of a reducible oxide, a reducin agent and a binder at 'a temperature ofaliout1000 C. In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name 1 hereunder.

ALEXANDER L. DUVM. IDADRIAN. 

